Preparing for the 2009 Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race.

April 11: Jeremy and I (Steve) are in a borrowed blue canoe, approximately 15 feet long. I loaned my Old Town Guide (14.7 feet long... I think!) to two other friends. They got the float bag, too! I've done the race three other times with my good friend, Phil. However, he's not able to do the race this year so I found some "fresh meat!" All my other experience canoeing swimming whitewater has been in the bow but the stern is the right place for me this year. Jeremy outweighs me by a bit so having him up front isn't a bad idea. In theory since I know more about canoeing whitewater I should be able to maneuver the boat out of tough situations and I should be able to tell Jeremy what to do in order to help make it happen. Too bad in practice it was not that easy, at least not at first! In hindsight, learning how to make hairpin turns in a canoe at Six-Mile Falls was unwise. At least it was fun!

Jeremy and I screwed it all up almost immediately. It's all my fault since Jeremy is new to downriver paddling. He has a great attitude, though. He does what I tell him to do without hesitation. Only problem is, I don't always know what I'm doing so giving him commands is like the blind leading the blind. We went river left with our friends, Crusher and Thrasher, following our line. We got turned the wrong way and we shot right into a fallen log near an island and the canoe was pinned. Crusher and Thrasher thought Jeremy and I were going the right way and when they realized we were pinned they tried to correct and ended up swimming. All bad! It took Jeremy and I about ten minutes just to free the canoe and I honestly thought it was going to break apart because it was pinned badly. Fortunately, we got it out and then we were ready to finish and line up for the main drop (Jaws.) Our friends were supposed to be filming us but they went for a beer run and they missed it. Those dinks!

The first trip down Jaws was horrible for all of us. Jeremy and I went down it SIDEWAYS and I was screaming "Paddles in the water!" as the canoe bobbed up and down. Somehow we made it through and we were able to limp our half-full canoe to shore. Crusher and Thrasher also blew it badly and they got soaked. The float bag most likely kept them from sinking. God bless that float bag! We all got to shore, had a laugh at how terrible we were, and then Jeremy and I did what had to be done. Since there was no video or photos yet we knew we needed to do Jaws again in order to be on film. Crusher and Thrasher decided to opt out of the second run.

We carried the canoe about halfway up, river left (right side if you face the falls from the bridge), and we put in 100 or so yards above Jaws. At first we did terrible and then we regrouped with a few backpaddles, lined up to shoot into the corridor leading up to Jaws, and then I felt the canoe getting pulled river left. Too far left at Jaws = ledge and swim. I tried to correct for this but I totally blew it and this link is the video evidence of my failure. (15MB, about 30 seconds long.) Below are a few stills for those who either can't or don't want to see the video. The quality leaves something to be desired but it's better than nothing!

Facing that way = all bad!

Facing that way = better than sideways!

Looks like we're sunk.

Nope, we made it!

Jeremy thinks he's on the Titanic. No, Jeremy, I won't sing you a Celine Dion song.

After the second run at Six-Mile the four of us paddled down to town. The water level was about perfect on Saturday. Not flood-stage fast and not drought-level dry. I was very sick for the 2007 race and I missed it (but did the Soudabscook Race!) My buddy, Phil, did the Kenduskeag that year with his brother and he said that was total carnage due to raging torrents. Conversely, the 2005 race (maybe 2006?) was really low and bony. Phil and I actually had to get out and push at one point in that race!

April 16: Jeremy and I ran Six-Mile Falls once today. We're back in my Old Town Guide because Crusher and Thrasher tapped out because they fear the mighty Kenduskeag. No, just kidding. They just didn't like falling out of the canoe in the rocks above Six-Mile, nearly falling out at "Jaws", and then being cold for the rest of the afternoon's paddle down to Bangor. It was nice having my float bag back today! We had a friend film our trip down and this link is that video (26MB and just over a minute long so it's not for those with a slow connection.) Watch us get it mostly right until the very end when we plowed through a big standing wave at the bottom of "Jaws" or the main drop. Oh well, at least we went through facing forward this time. When we practiced last Saturday we went through sideways the first time and backwards the second time. Somehow we have yet to sink there, though. Paddles in the water! (And a float bag!)

Below are some video stills from today's run at Jaws. Not the best video quality, but I'm blessed to even have the opportunity to get this on film. I owe my friends beer for getting me these videos! Below are a few stills of our run:

Do not go there!

The Titanic really is sinking this time!

And flipping over!

Hmmm... Maybe we won't sink!

The canoe is full or water. Abandon ship!

Amazingly enough, we didn't sink and we made it to shore! After analyzing the video I realize why we blew it and almost sank. We should have hooked to the river left as we entered the drop but I gave the "paddle forward" command because I figured the best way to beat the waves would be to plow right through them! My bad. In hindsight, plowing through the largest standing wave was unwise. I could study that film all day and stand on the bridge for an hour, studying that drop, and I'm not sure there is one magical way to hit it with the water this low. It's bony all over the place at the bottom. The best way to do it on race day is probably to portage but I WILL NOT PORTAGE ANY RAPID UNLESS I AM REQUIRED TO DO SO. Portaging = for real racers! Portaging = stealing joy from the crowds who gather and eagerly anticipate seeing people screw it all up!

After we pulled to shore to empty the canoe and to have a laugh with our friend who filmed the video, we paddled down to the first portage. We didn't run Washing Machine and Shopping Cart because we both worked this afternoon and we had no time. We never dumped the canoe in any of the smaller rapids between Six-Mile and the first portage but we came close a couple times. The water is low and it's really bony. I'm amazed how much it dropped since Saturday. I think by race day we might be getting out to push in places.

Tomorrow morning we're planning to go play at Six-Mile and then play around Shopping Cart. The water is so low that running Six-Mile Falls river left above Jaws might not be feasable and if it's not we got a problem because I've never had much success going center or right. The first time I ever canoed in rapids was 2005 at Six-Mile Falls with Phil. We knew nothing, not even what to wear. I was wearing my hunting packs and blue jeans. We had no extra flotation in the canoe and we didn't hunker down in the rapids to help balance the boat. We didn't really scout the rapids ahead of time either. We looked at Jaws from the bridge and then put in a half-mile above. When we got to the start of the falls we had no plan, just to paddle through whatever looked good. Little did we know that all the stuff leading up to Jaws is the real killer. We went about dead center, tried to paddle over a ledge, and went swimming. Then we regrouped on an island, hit Jaws, filled up with water, sank, and had to swim to shore again. It was about 40 degrees, cloudy, with snow flurries in the air. We've learned a lot since then!

Odds of my getting more photos and video on here before race day are slim but you never know. I'm certainly planning to have friends film and photograph us on race day. Hopefully I'll have more to add after that!

April 17: Wow, I have awesome friends! I got more photos and video today because they came along to watch Jeremy and I practice for tomorrow's race. Today was "play" day. We ran Six-Mile Falls twice and the Washing Machine/Shopping Cart once. We'd have loved to do it more than that, especially since the weather is perfect (near 60 now around lunchtime.) However, we both work this afternoon and calling out sick is not an option. Ever.

I have video from Six-Mile Falls but it's not that exciting so I'll save the time and bandwidth. Our first run down we went river left above the drop and there's still enough water to pull that off, but barely so. We hung up on one rock and had to wiggle the boat over it. We hit Jaws dead center, shipped a boatload of water, and made it to shore to dump all that water and prepare for round two.

Note: the NO PARKING signs are already up on both sides of the road up by the falls and someone from Parks and Rec was up there enforcing the policy earlier. Plan accordingly if you head up this afternoon.

The second run through the falls we took river right. It's a bit ledgy above but that's life and there's still enough water to make it through without coming to a complete stop if you do it right. Unfortunately, we didn't do it right, we got stuck on a rock, and I almost had to get out and push before we wiggled over it. Once we got over the ledges we had a great chute of water to push us around the bend. That chute of water hugs the right shore and you can't miss it. We kissed the rocks along the right shore as we rounded the bend but we expected to do that and it was not enough of a hit to screw up the run. We shot out towards river center and hooked back to the right with the plan of hitting Jaws a tad right of the biggest standing wave. However, we ended up shooting straight through the middle, we shipped some water, and we limped to shore to dump. Both runs at Jaws were about the same for us. We just plowed right through and we kept paddling and didn't flip or sink. We're probably just lucky! We didn't even use the float bag or bailer today because we didn't care if we fell in.

After Six Mile Falls we headed down to the final two rapids, Washing Machine and Shopping Cart. Compared to Six-Mile Falls these two rapids are sissies but on race day after nearly 16 miles of canoeing you are spent and it's easy to screw up because a tired paddler is a paddler who is ready to do some swimming. This video is our run through both rapids. It's about a minute long and 26MB. Screencaps are below:

Washing Machine. There's some ledge to the river right. Avoid that! I actually wanted to be a tad more to river left when we rounded the bend (right in the photo) but we were close enough. That's what I love about the Kenduskeag. Often times, "close enough" is all you need in order to make it through!

We hit the standing wave at the bottom but we didn't ship too much water. Being a bit more river left would have been best. Oh well!

Here is Shopping Cart. Looks like we're filling up with water, doesn't it? We could have been more to river right to avoid that hole but where we ended up beats being too far to the left! I thought we might hit that lege to the left but we were able to make a last-minute adjustment. (Either that or we got lucky!)

All I wanna know is why? Why is your paddle out of the water? Ah well, I don't care. Our friends were practically begging for us to fall in! I'd do the same for them. Canoe-carnage is highly entertaining, as long as no one is getting seriously injured.

Hmmm... we were closer to that ledge than I originally thought! We accidentally went around the wave train to the right that is notorious for sinking canoes. Hopefully we can go around those waves on race day, too! The first year of the race Phil and I hit those waves head-on, we filled up with water, and we sank. I was trying to bail as the gunnels of the canoe were submerged. It was like trying to pee on a forest fire. Then we hit bottom and both spit out of the canoe. Fortunately, we were close to shore so recovering was not that hard. There was more water the year we sank there. This year those waves aren't too impressive and plowing right through them with no extra flotation might not end badly. We'll see tomorrow!

I'm excited for tomorrow's race! Unfortunately, the water level is a joke. We will hit rocks, we will get hung up, we might fall out a time or two, and I might have to get out and push. This might actually be less water than 2006! I think we'll both have a great time and I hope everyone else has a great time, too. I might post more photos and video after the race, assuming my friends are able to get a view as we pass by. In years past I've purchased photos from Michael Alden, the guy who runs the official www.kenduskeagstreamcanoerace.com website. Last year he got some awesome photos of Phil and I running the Shopping Cart. Here's my favorite:

Race Day!

April 18:

Think we made it without sinking?

Jeremy and I had an awesome time doing the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race! Unfortunately, we weren't competitive in the race but the fun we had running the 16.5-mile stream more than made up for that. I already have a first-place trophy from a past race anyway.

When Phil and I did the race in years past our main goal was to beat everyone. I love being competitive in the race with Phil and we paddled like we were running from the law every time we did the race together. First place in the beginner class in 05, second place in the intermediate class in 06, and third place last year racing with the experts. Not bad! This year I entered Jeremy and I in the intermediate class of boats and I honestly don't know what place we got because I was sound asleep in my bed during the awards ceremony yesterday. Ah well, the results will be posted online soon enough and I don't even care because I know we got beaten by a LOT of other boats.

At first we started off at an easy pace but then I kicked it into gear and I paddled hard. I think I did everything wrong in the stern but the canoe was moving right along so maybe not. Jeremy paddled at a leisurely pace and I dropped the hammer. I didn't keep pace with his stroke rate and I only called a few switches in the beginning before I stopped caring and I told him to paddle on whatever side he wanted to and I'd make adjustments. In hindsight paddling so hard in the first ten miles of relatively flat water was unwise because after Six-Mile Falls my arms both cramped up and that was a bummer!

I don't think my arms would have cramped up so badly had they not gotten soaked by 30-something degree water at Six-Mile Falls. We set up great for the main drop at "Jaws" and I thought we rocked it. We were at the bottom and I looked back to grab the bailer since we did take on a bit of water. However, as soon as I turned my head we slammed to a stop and we were pinned in the rocks at the bottom. Oops! I tried to get out and push but the canoe filled all the way up with water and we both had to wade out and fight the current in order to drag the canoe to shore and regroup. I'm sure the crowd loved that! It actually took us a while at Jaws to get the canoe out of the water and squared away before we could continue on.

My arms were really toasted for the last six miles of the race. The water was realy low so fast-moving rapids were not a problem. Rocks were an issue, though. We hit a few and got hung up once or twice but we kept the canoe afloat. After our epic fail at Six Mile Falls I knew we were not going to win the race so I stopped paddling hard. My arms were numb and I couldn't drop the hammer anyway. Strange my arms failed like that because they never have in years past. I think the shock of the cold water had something to do with it but I dunno for sure; maybe I'm just a sissy-Mary.

By the time we got past the second portage and through Washing Machine rapid I went into full "entertain the crowd" mode. We shipped a bit of water at Washing Machine and I grabbed the bailer and said to Jeremy "I'm gonna bail some of this water out." Then before I could make even one scoop with the cut-off gallon jug I tossed it aside and I yelled "You know what, screw bailing!" Then I started singing Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger." Shopping Cart was not far away and the crowds lined both banks in the hopes of seeing some carnage. I wanted to give the crowd something to laugh at so just before we entered Shopping Cart I resumed my singing (I swear someone from the crowd was singing along.) and I yelled "You want a show? Full speed ahead!" as I aimed us for the worst-looking line through. We plowed right into the hole and following standing wave and this is the end result of that decision:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Those photos totally rock! I knew when I gave the "Full speed ahead!" command and aimed us for the worst spot we were going to put on a show for the crowd. We rolled right over and I love the look on Jeremy's face. He's going to love these photos! We gave the crowd what they wanted and I apologized to Jeremy after for setting us up to fail like that. I actually wasn't sure we'd even dump when I made that decision but I had a feeling we might. Jeremy didn't mind swimming there, though. He loved it! So did I. Too bad none of our friends saw it in person but at least they can come to my bootleg site and see these photos!*

*Special thanks to Michael Alden for the race day photos.

Overall the race was great fun! A little more water in the stream would have been nice but at least it was a safer race with less water. After Shopping Cart we came to a spot just before the canals downtown where we actually had to get out and push. Seriously. What a bunch of crap! I have no clue how long it took us to do the race but my guess is around 3 hours and 45 minutes. We'll see when the full results get published.

-Steve Markwith

markwithproperties@hotmail.com